|
Chris Kavan - wrote on 02/28/12 at 09:28 AM CT
While there's not the largest variety to choose from this Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012 - at least the quality more than makes up for the somewhat low numbers.
1) Fresh off some impressive Academy Awards - at least in the technical categories, Martin Scorsese's family friendly
|
|
|
Chris Kavan - wrote on 02/26/12 at 11:54 PM CT
It was a bit of good news/bad news for the new releases over the weekend. While patriotism and Tyler Perry managed decent debuts, news wasn't so peachy for Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston and Amanda Seyfried.
Opening in the top spot, the "Featuring Active Navy SEALs" film Act of Valor took in $24.7 million on a budget of $12 million (though the insane marketing probably pushed up costs juuuuust a...
|
|
patjohnson76 - wrote on 02/26/12 at 12:39 PM CT
Just under the wire, I'm getting my final part of my take on the Oscar nominations up. Here I'll break down the 9 nominees for Best Picture...well, I'll break down some of them after eliminating some from contention.
In 2009 the Academy made the head-scratching decision to nominate 10 films for Best Picture in the hopes of drawing more viewers by having fan-favorite films get nominated. The pr...
|
|
|
Chris Kavan - wrote on 02/24/12 at 10:41 AM CT
Even thought the box office was still up last week, none of the new movies made an impression with audiences. Hopefully the films opening Feb. 24, 2012 will be able to make a better impression. While the Oscars might take center stage this weekend, hopefully there are still plenty of people interested in this year's movies too.
1) The real Navy SEALS in Act of Valor are out to show us peons wh...
|
|
|
patjohnson76 - wrote on 02/23/12 at 03:21 PM CT
Part five of breaking down the major Oscar races, this one focusing on Best Director.
Woody Allen - Midnight in Paris
FOR HIM: The Academy's love affair with Allen continues with Midnight in Paris, as Allen received directing and writing nominations for his latest film, which many have called his best since Annie Hall, where Allen won for Best Director. The film has numerous nominations, in...
|
|
|
patjohnson76 - wrote on 02/21/12 at 12:48 PM CT
Part 4 of breaking down the major Oscar races, this one focusing on Best Actress.
Glenn Close - Albert Nobbs
FOR HER: In a project that has spanned nearly 30 years, Close brings her character of Albert Nobbs to the big screen in a critically-acclaimed performance. If voters love passion projects, they have to admire Close here, as she not only stars in the film, but also produced, co-wrote ...
|
|
|
Chris Kavan - wrote on 02/21/12 at 12:05 PM CT
It looks like you get a little of everything for your Feb. 21, 2012 weekly release. Granted, you'll have to wait a few more days for one particular swarthy animated cat, but you can hold out, can't you?
1) The cat in question is voiced by the silky-smooth Antonio Banderas who always sounds like he's having a good time as
|
|
|
Chris Kavan - wrote on 02/20/12 at 10:09 AM CT
While the new movies didn't exactly make big waves with audience over the President's Day weekend, luckily last week's strong entries proved they have what it takes and still gave a boost to the box office compared to 2011.
Coming out on top Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds Safe House had a mild 40% drop and wound up with $24 million, pushing the film's total to $78.3 million. Once again, i...
|
|
|
patjohnson76 - wrote on 02/19/12 at 06:10 PM CT
Part 3 of breaking down the major Oscar races, here is Best Actor, a race that seemed all locked up until a couple weeks ago. The nominees:
Demian Bechir - A Better Life
FOR HIM: A surprise nominee (edging out Leonardo DiCaprio), Bechir's performance in A Better Life captivated critics when the film was released in the summer of 2011. The film was released to strong reviews and this nominat...
|
|
|
Chris Kavan - wrote on 02/17/12 at 12:05 PM CT
After a great start to the movie season, will the films coming out on Feb. 17, 2012 be able to continue the box office winning streak? If Nicolas Cage, Tom Hardy, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine and Studio Ghibli are all hoping for the best.
1) I honestly have no idea why Ghost Rider deserves a sequel, but Cage (who may or may not be
|
|
|
patjohnson76 - wrote on 02/16/12 at 06:51 PM CT
Part two of predicting the major Oscar races, Best Supporting Actress is the race where lots of upset winners tend to happen, could it happen again this year? The nominees...
Bernice Bejo: The Artist
FOR HER: She's starring in a Best Picture contender that's the favorite to win. The Academy has really embraced the film and her parallel story against Jean Dujardin's is just as fun to watch. ...
|
|
|
patjohnson76 - wrote on 02/15/12 at 09:23 PM CT
Part 1 in a 6 part series where I break down the major Oscar races and predict a winner. I'll post the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate before making a final prediction.
Kenneth Branagh: My Week with Marilyn
FOR HIM: Branagh had a good year, directing the surprising well-reviewed Thor to strong box office results to portraying Laurence Olivier against Michelle Williams' Marilyn Mo...
|
|
|
Chris Kavan - wrote on 02/14/12 at 02:46 PM CT
The release dates are a little scary this week. Tuesday Feb. 14th, 2012 brings us a collection of horrors - mostly intentional.
1) Johnny Depp proved he's not 100% infallible after the quirky nature of The Rum Diary
|
|
|
Chris Kavan - wrote on 02/13/12 at 09:52 AM CT
It was a good weekend for Hollywood as, for only the second time in history, all new releases opened above the $20 million mark. The only other weekend that happened was in Christmas 2008. The big gains helped overall totals to $188.7 million - 30% higher than the same weekend in 2011.
Leading the way was the Channing Tatum/Rachel McAdams romantic drama The Vow. With $41.7 million, it easily t...
|
|
|
Chris Kavan - wrote on 02/10/12 at 10:45 AM CT
It's going to be a busy week for action as Feb. 10, 2012 brings us The Rock trying to save another franchise, Denzel Washington back in control and George Lucas hoping that fans will forgive him and revisit Star Wars in 3D.
Can Dwayne Johnson make Journey 2: The Mysterious Island pop as much as Fast Five? Fro the critical reception, no, not even close. However, for families looking to catch a ...
|
|
|
Chris Kavan - wrote on 02/07/12 at 12:12 PM CT
I hear the cry of many a tween (and probably some adults too) as the week of February 7, 2012 brings us the release of the shiniest of shiny vampires and stoners can also get their buzz with the third installment of what has become a beloved franchise.
1) I have never been a fan nor will you convert me, but I'm not going to deny that
|
|
|
Chris Kavan - wrote on 02/06/12 at 08:44 PM CT
Despite the draw of the Super Bowl, it was a super weekend at the box office as it marked the first time in history two films broke the $20 million mark vs. the biggest football game of the year. It also represented a massive 32% increase in the total box office compared to 2011.
The super teen found footage film Chronicle took the top spot with $24 million. While that total is behind the open...
|
|
|
patjohnson76 - wrote on 02/03/12 at 12:45 PM CT
At this point in the awards season, it’s usually easy to call most Oscar races. But what if the Academy decides to get a little funky and create some upsets? Let’s just imagine:
Hugo could win Best Picture
Though The Artist is the favorite, with The Descendents possibly being a spoiler, there’s still a chance Hugo could pull off a major upset. Why? It has the most nominations out of any pi...
|
|
|
Chris Kavan - wrote on 02/03/12 at 10:58 AM CT
It's a weekend of taking chances as a big name steps out of a familiar role and a familiar genre takes on a new challenge.
First the big name - Daniel Radcliffe, better known to legion of raving fans as Harry Potter, takes on a much different role as a lawyer who encounters The Woman in Black. Will the one-time wizard be able to cast a spell on the horror genre? While reviews aren't through th...
|
|
|
